Assessing the impacts of policies on children Petra Hoelscher UNICEF Global Child Poverty Study CEE/CIS Regional Meeting Tashkent, 2-4 April 2008

Protective Environment for Children Outcomes for Children’s Well-being Material Situation Risk + Safety State Decentralisation Budgets Governance Community Protective Environment for Children Agriculture Health Education Social Protection Justice System Reform Capacity Legacy Child Wider Family Peers Subjective Well-being Migration Remittances Outcomes for Children’s Well-being Civil Society Housing Environment MTEF Fiscal Space Macro Economy Legal Framework External Shocks Employment UNICEF

What are good policies for children? child mainstreaming – requires visibility of children first comprehensive, integrated, multi-dimensional strategies policies that start early, strengthen families & ensure healthy development of children policies that reach the most vulnerable groups of the population but do not lead to further social exclusion or discrimination  user-friendliness, accessibility, simple procedures policies that meet the needs of children and their families  participation of children (consultations etc.) UNICEF

Checklist: principles of good practice Is there an integrated, coordinated strategy? Are there any cross-sectoral approaches? Do policies follow clear objectives and quantified targets? Are monitoring and reporting systems in place? Is there a balanced approach that includes short- and long-term measures, prevention and alleviation, universal and targeted approaches? UNICEF

What are the areas that need an in-depth assessment? public expenditure analysis/tracking wider system reform social protection reform decentralisation access vs. quality situation of young people  need for prioritisation based on country setting UNICEF

Protective Environment for Children Outcomes for Children’s Well-being Material Situation Risk + Safety State Decentralisation Budgets Governance Community Protective Environment for Children Agriculture Health Education Social Protection Justice System Reform Capacity Legacy Child Wider Family Peers Subjective Well-being Migration Remittances Outcomes for Children’s Well-being Civil Society Housing Environment MTEF Fiscal Space Macro Economy Legal Framework External Shocks Employment UNICEF

The child protection system – complexity and unclear distribution of responsibility National and District level. Subordination , reporting, referral monitoring lines. Ministry of Justice Council of Trustees on rights of young offenders Public Monitoring Council for justice issues Ministry of Interior Department of prevention and profilaxis of adolescents Counter Trafficking Unit Education Department for adoptions Health Finance Ministry of Labour & Social Security of Social support VTEK – Medical Commission Department for disabled and lonely people Youth, Sport and Tourism Child coordination council Transit centres (3) Street children, children in conflict with the law, victims of trafficking Police units and stations: temporary detention (KPZ) Children with disabilities and children without parental care (4 - 18) Presidential Apparatus Medical Psycho pedagogical commission parental care (0 3) and family allowances Psycho neurological dispensaries (Polyclinics) Dwelling Units and Public consumptions ( Jeks ): (Pedagogues) Children in conflict with the law and adoptions Institutes for children with severe disabilities NGOs: drop in centre for street children, homes for victim of trafficking, psychological support Cabinet of Ministers Deputy PM for Humanitarian Issues Committee for Refugees and IDPs Homes and schools for children with Rieducation boys NGOs: day care centres for children with disabilities; SOS village Executive Committee Prosecutor Detention Centres Home education on Minors Commission on Guardianship and Adoption: Child Protection Inspectors Authority (psycho commissions) SOBES: allowances for disabilities, IDPs, refugees, families for disabilities Depart ment of JEKS Child IDPs, Refugees, Asylum seekers Baby homes (incl. Psycho problems) deprived of parental care Rehabiliation centre Sanatoriums for chronic diseases (including STD) OMD: emergency unit for children abandoned at birth Isolation Centres during investigations (SIZO) Judge of preliminary inquiry Court Deputy Minister: national coordinator Child inspectors This « image » of child protection system “map” is typical for any country in the region. Overlap of mandates by different sectors (categories of children..) , multitude of un-coordinated bodies and structures, fragmented and heavy-to-down decision making, weak services at the local levels.. Analysis of the “map” reveals clearly the gaps in the current system`s capacities to respond. For these reasons - Our response in child protection goes way beyond policy repsponce- ( legal reforms) and focuses on the transformation, upgrading, reform of the whole system of protection for families and children Success in developing a leading position in this work has depended on having solid evidence, knowledge and tools to build a better understanding of how the system functions, and what the gaps are. So… our work has developed into focusing more and more on: Building the knowledge, evidence and supporting the sharing of what works and what doesn’t in social protection systems Facilitating a common position / vision of what the system needs to perform among the partners working in this area Building up regional partnerships with organizations that have heavy influence in the region (EU, World Bank, OSCE, Council of Europe) Examples: An example of this leadership role that UNICEF has assumed in child protection is the recent consultation in Bulgaria that gathers professionals working on child care system refrom in 10 countries in SEE, together with World Bank and EU officials to exchange experiences and good practices, and work out new ways of tackling complex system reform. In Central Asia we have also been supporting the establishment of a highlevel political Forum on child protection that addresses issues of common concern and of cross border nature in Central Asia, and also promotes the learning and exchange between countries going through similar processes of reform. UNICEF

Assessing the progress of system reform Policy environment Line ministries Systems that work for children Enabling factors Barriers Economic reform Education system Social protec-tion Child care Health children missing out Major determinants of reform Assessment of progress of system Reform process UNICEF

Child-sensitive social protection Social protection describes all public and private initiatives that provide income or consumption transfers to the poor, protect the vulnerable against livelihood risks, and enhance the social status and rights of the marginalised; with the overall objective of reducing the economic and social vulnerability of poor, vulnerable and marginalised groups (Devereux and Sabates-Wheeler, 2004; 9). A child-sensitive approach to social protection recognises children’s needs, interests and rights, now and in the future, and takes account of the particular vulnerabilities of children, including loss of family, in the design, budgeting, implementation and monitoring of social protection policies and programmes (UNICEF, 2007). UNICEF

Do social protection measures reach poor children and families? Possible approaches: Focus on model families to analyse entitlements to tax benefits, cash transfers and social services Analysis of child poverty rates before and after transfers Microsimulation UNICEF

Child poverty rates before and after social transfers EU, 2003 UNICEF

Impact of total social benefits on child poverty, EU 25, 2004 UNICEF Source: SILC(2005) - income year 2004 (income year 2005 for IE and the UK); data missing for BG and RO Source: Isabelle Engsted-Maquet, European Commission 2008 7

Source: Social Monitor 2006 Public expenditure on social security and social assistance 2003 (% of GDP) UNICEF Source: Social Monitor 2006

Source: Social Monitor 2006 Non-health social security benefits in selected countries (as a % of total social security expenditure), 2003 UNICEF Source: Social Monitor 2006

Source: Social Monitor 2006 Impact of family benefits and economic assistance on child poverty levels (per cent of children under the PPP $ 2.15 poverty line) UNICEF Source: Social Monitor 2006

Different models of cash transfers Universal child benefits ensures minimum standard of living for all children (or specific age groups) non stigmatising, simple administration  high coverage expensive to ensure adequate level of payments more likely to have support in general population than targeted approaches Means-tested (income, score cards) or categorical transfers targeted to poor or disadvantaged groups of the population (e.g. disabled children) rationale: cheaper than universal benefits & concern that families may become welfare dependent but: often complicated procedures, high barriers in access, high administrative costs, low coverage of target population UNICEF

Different models of cash transfers Conditional cash transfers cash transfers linked to families‘ behaviour change – conditional e.g. on children‘s school attendance or health check ups started in Latin America in often localised programmes mixed evidence of effectiveness do not work where problems lie in the system rather than parents‘ behaviour: lack of supply of services, barriers in access (e.g. transport: ‘the bus just stopped’), discrimination UNICEF

How to maximise impacts of cash transfers on child poverty? careful assessment of effectiveness and bottlenecks of current cash transfer system – from a child-focused perspective participatory assessment of barriers in access simple, non-stigmatising procedures adequate level of benefits mix of universal and targeted benefits e.g. South Africa: means-tested child benefit initially for children under 7, over time extension of age limit, currently up to 14 years, next stage up to 18; value $ 50 PPP; reaches currently 50% of age group  proved very effective in improving children’s nutritional status UNICEF

Conclusions: a vision for a country without child poverty What would it take? How long would it take? What would it cost? What will it cost not to end child poverty? Thinking big & rallying behind a joint objective as a way to overcome the often huge number of different targeted, scattered and unrelated programmes and to move towards a comprehensive and integrated strategy. Here only focus on poverty, but impacts reach further: stagnation or even reversals in social indicators, particularly health and education UNICEF